News

Colleges under fire over Gazelle’s £3.5m

A month-long FE Week investigation into multi-million pound funding of Gazelle by UK colleges has resulted in criticism that…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Skills Funding Agency job cuts ‘ideological’

A programme of job cuts at the Skills Funding Agency has been attacked as “ideological” by MPs who warned…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Pay cut fears for apprentices

Fears have emerged that government proposals to streamline “difficult” minimum wage rates for apprentices could lead to lower pay….

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Progression payment for traineeships

The government has launched a long-awaited consultation on moving to a new traineeship funding system in which providers are…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Full-time learner concerns lead to EFA review on planned hours

Fears that a new planned hours system of funding 16 to 19 study programmes was being misused have prompted…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Commissioner points at leadership hitting staff morale

FE commissioner Dr David Collins criticised leadership styles at two colleges and said staff morale was being hit, his…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford


News

Ofsted sees ‘insufficient progress’ at inadequate Lesoco and Stockport

Two colleges branded inadequate by Ofsted last year have both emerged badly in the latest of three monitoring visits…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Copycat claim after Labour lays out youth plans

Labour has been accused by Skills Minister Matthew Hancock of copying Conservative Party policy with proposals to drop JobSeekers…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Match Clegg’s ‘cradle to college’ pledge, sector demands

Labour and the Conservatives have been urged to match a Liberal Democrat promise to protect education spending “from cradle…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

BIS publishes summary reports from FE Commissioner visits

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has today published summary reports of FE Commissioner Dr David Collins’s visits…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter
News

Labour to announce plans to scrap JSA for 18 to 21 year olds and replace with a youth training allowance

Ed Miliband, the labour leader, will today endorse proposals to introduce a youth allowance linked to being enrolled in…

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
News

Government reveals new 16 to 19 SVQ quals

New level two qualifications called substantial vocational qualifications (SVQs) have been revealed by the government today. They have been…

FE Week Reporter
FE Week Reporter

Must read

Apprenticeships, Politics

Phillipson to exempt young people from level 7 apprenticeships funding axe

Education secretary makes ‘important concession’ amid backlash from other government departments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges, FE Commissioner

Weston chair felt powerless over £2.5m payments to former principal

Ex-Weston college chair gives tell-all interview following FE Commissioner probe

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges

Weston College governance failure allowed ‘concealment’ of £2.5m payments to former principal

Paul Phillips was paid £1.8m in 2023, including a ‘significant’ six-figure retention payment which his COO son ‘resisted’ paying…

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
T Levels

NAO reveals enormity of T Level take-up failure

Forecasts missed by 75% and secret DfE estimates show staff and employer shortages could limit places to 48,000 students

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Adult education, ITPs

Mayors dump adult education cuts on independent training providers

Up to two-thirds axed from devolved procured budgets

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Bootcamps, Skills bootcamps

Coding firm caught charging students for free bootcamps

Ed tech provider ‘regretful’ after complaints and promises full refunds as bosses try to sue DfE over non-payments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Frances Read